Washington Township police recently arrested a man accused of possessing illegal drugs and possessing an airsoft gun while driving in Califon, New Jersey.
According to authorities, the suspect was driving a vehicle on a Califon road when a Washington Township NJ patrol officer spotted him committing a traffic violation. Washington Township police officers are tasked with patrolling Califon just past the border with Hunterdon County, NJ.
The police officer approached the car and determined that the suspect was high on marijuana. The Washington Township patrol cop also reportedly saw the suspect trying to hide a small quantity of pot inside his car.
A subsequent search of the motor vehicle reportedly led to the discovery of two Ziploc bags filled with marijuana and two Ziploc bags with cocaine.
While arresting the suspect, police also allegedly found a paintball gun hidden in the suspect’s sock.
The suspect, a 20-year-old resident of Oxford, NJ, was arrested and charged with numerous crimes, including unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of cocaine, and simple possession of marijuana.
The Washington Township Police Department announced the arrest and posted an image of the airsoft gun on the department’s Facebook page. The photo of the imitation firearm was placed next to a photo of a real handgun. The point of the Facebook post was to educate the public about the differences between real firearms and imitation firearms. With all of the recent media coverage surrounding police shootings of individuals carrying imitation firearms, Washington Township police wanted to remind the public that it is not always easy for cops to tell the spot an imitation firearm or distinguish it from a real firearm.
After being arrested and processed, the suspect was remanded to the Somerset County Jail. He later secured his release from policy custody by posting a bail amount of $10,000.
Possession of Cocaine, Handgun Charges in Washington Twp., Morris County NJ
For additional information about this case, go to the DailyRecord.com article, “Washington Twp. Cops: Gun Arrest Could Have Gone Bad.”
